Chair: John M. Riggs Lt. General (Ret)

US Army John Riggs worked his way through the ranks in the U.S. Army to Lieutenant General culminating as Director of the Objective Force Task Force where he was entrusted with creating a high-tech Army for the 21st Century; Transformation of the U.S. Army. He served on active duty with the U. S. Army for over 39 years prior to becoming an Aviation & Strategic Defense Consultant.

Riggs had six overseas tours — Vietnam, Belgium, and two each in Korea and Germany, and has commanded at every level — platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division — culminating in his immediate past assignment as commanding general of the 1st U.S. Army. Staff tours included military assistant to the deputy chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, Belgium, and as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations and plans on the Army staff. He served consecutively as Commanding General, 1st U.S. Army, Fort Gillem, GA and Commanding General, 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, CO. Riggs commanded at all levels of Aviation and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery and 25 awards of the Air Medal during the Vietnam War.

He served in various positions on the Army Staff in the Pentagon culminating as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. He also served as the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation School and Ft. Rucker, Ala, and Assistant Division Commander for the 3rd Infantry Division in Bamberg Germany. Riggs has decades of experience with Congress, OSD, the Joint Staff and Services working programs, from concept development through requirements, budgeting, acquisition, and life cycle sustainment. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree in personnel management and administration, and was a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.